


Mixed Emotions, Steady Hearts

by PennamePersona



Series: Clinic AU [25]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: 30 day challenge, Alternate Universe, Blood, Clinic AU, Description of blood, F/F, F/M, First Meetings, First Times, Fluff, M/M, Not necessarily sexual first times, Some angsty, Though not really graphic, etc. - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-07-29 18:28:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7694851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PennamePersona/pseuds/PennamePersona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is for a 30 day writing challenge that I found online! I thought it'd be fun to work at it, hopefully I finish it. I'll be using any and all relationships already established in the Clinic AU. The first chapter is all the prompts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prompts

30-Day OTP Challenge!

Behold, a 30-day OTP challenge! There may or may not be more of these challenges in the future, but for now, have fun with this one. 

Your challenge is to create pieces inspired by 30 prompts in this challenge, one every day if you can. Create drawings, write short stories, or do any other form of creation. The prompts/inspirations are below the cut. If you’re thinking about doing this, be sure to reblog and share it!

Day One, Meeting: The first time your OTP met. Introduced through a mutual friend? An accident?

Day Two, Realization: The first time a member of your OTP (or both members!) realized they had feelings for the other. 

Day Three, The Reveal: When your OTP confessed their feelings. Or were their feelings originally a secret until someone else intervened?

Day Four, First Date: Your OTP’s first date. Where’d they go? Did the date go well or go horribly?

Day Five, Reminder: What trinkets or items does each member of your OTP keep with them to remind them of their significant other? A gift? A photograph? Something else?

Day Six, New to the Family: Each member of your OTP meeting the other’s family for the first time. Does each family approve of the one dating the other? What sorts of shenanigans do they get into?

Day Seven, Laughter: Your OTP making each other laugh. Jokes? Stories? Tickle fights?

Day Eight, First Kiss: Exactly what it sounds like— make a piece inspired by/about your OTP’s first kiss.

Day Nine, Thirdwheeling: Your OTP plus a third wheel. Is it awkwardly quiet, or chaotically crazy?

Day Ten, Flustered: Your OTP being flustered. It could be one member, it could be both.

Day Eleven, Rest: Your OTP resting and/or sleeping together. They could be sleeping anywhere from at home in bed to out on a park bench.

Day Twelve, Shopping: Your OTP shopping together. What are they shopping for? Are they just running errands, or are they buying gifts for each other?

Day Thirteen, Our Song: Your OTP and music. Do they have a song? Do they sing? Do they dance?

Day Fourteen, Stargazing: Your OTP stargazing. Where are they doing this? Are they out camping? Are they sitting on a rooftop? What constellations are they looking at?

Day Fifteen, Rainy Day: Your OTP on a rainy day. How do they spend the time? Cuddling up with a movie? Playing video games? Watching the rain?

Day Sixteen, Super Powers: An AU in which your OTP has super powers. Are they a hero/sidekick duo? Are they archenemies? Are they both villains?

Day Seventeen, Double Date: Your OTP going on a double date with two of their friends. Are they out to dinner? A movie? What’s the other couple like? Do they get along well with your OTP?

Day Eighteen, Holding Hands: Your OTP holding hands. Why are they holding hands? Is it just because, or is one of them in danger somehow?

Day Nineteen, Spellbound: An AU in which your OTP has magical abilities. Are they witches/wizards? How do they use their powers?

Day Twenty, Surprise Gift: One member of your OTP preparing a surprise gift for the other. How do they react? Do they almost find out about the surprise too early?

Day Twenty-One, Dispute: Even people who love each other sometimes don’t see eye-to-eye. Your OTP having an argument. How did it start? How does it get resolved?

Day Twenty-Two, Angst: Your OTP in an angsty situation. Does someone get hurt? Is it bad?

Day Twenty-Three, Rescue: One member of your OTP gets into trouble and the other rescues them! Could be from anything as small as a spider in the bathtub to as big as a kidnapper holding them for ransom!

Day Twenty-Four, Tragedy: Your OTP handling a tragedy. Did they lose a loved one? Was something stolen? How do they handle this? How do they help the other stay strong?

Day Twenty-Five, Support: Your OTP supporting each other through tough times. What are these tough times? How do they comfort each other? Is one more prone to being upset than the other?

Day Twenty-Six, Finishing Each Other’s Sentences: Exactly what it sounds like. This could include your OTP doing other couple clichés, too. Bonus if they’re unaware of how cliché they’re being.

Day Twenty-Seven, Memories: Your OTP reminiscing about how far they’ve come. They could be looking through photo albums or just cuddling and talking.

Day Twenty-Eight, The Power of Two: Your OTP accomplishing a goal that neither of them would’ve been capable of doing alone. The name of this prompt can be change if you’re using an OT3 or more for this challenge.

Day Twenty-Nine, “I love you”s: Your OTP saying they love each other for the first time. When was this? What context was it in? What did it feel like for them?

Day Thirty, Different Ways of Saying “I love you”: What sorts of things does your OTP say and do for each other to show that they love each other? How do they indirectly show their love?

Once your finish this challenge, go ahead and congratulate yourself for all that work! Good job. If you do this challenge, be sure to link back to us/this post so others can try it if they’re interested!


	2. Meeting - DaveJade, DaveRose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What a way to meet someone face-to-face for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So since I've already done the Rosemary first meeting and suggested the Johnkat first meeting in the very first fic (ages ago, jeez), I thought I'd go for the Davejade first meeting! This'll be their first time meeting face-to-face for two reason:  
> 1\. I'm too lazy to pesterlog all this junk.  
> 2\. Dramaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

You're hesitant to wake up, for a couple of reasons. 

One is that this bed is really comfortable, and there's actually another person's warmth in it.

The other is...complicated.

The other is not something you want to think about.

The other is not something you want to face just yet.

The other is inevitable.

"Dave," Rose murmurs from where she lays next to you. "We should wake up."

You wonder how long she's been laying awake. Probably quite a while. She said that she's been having serious trouble sleeping lately, though that will hopefully be fixed by her being out of that house, which, once again, you don't want to think about.

"Yeah." You say. "I know."

Neither of you move for a long moment.

* * *

"John!" You cry, throwing your arms around your brother. 

"Jade!" He says, not without enthusiasm (it's been months since you've seen each other and been able to hug, as you both want to near constantly, because hugging is what siblings do, right? Well, except Rose and Dave, but you suspect they do hug when they see each other and they're just being aloof because that is how they are.), but with something still blocking his usual excitement.

"What's wrong, John?" You ask, instantly concerned. You know it must have to do with Rose and Dave, they've been doing so badly lately, and now John looks so scared...!

"It's them," He says, quietly. "They're here."

" _What_?!" You whisper-shout. "What do you mean 'they're here'?"

"I mean they're in Seattle right now, in a hotel," He says. "They called this morning, just before Dad and I came to get you. Dad's on the phone right now, trying to figure out stuff. They're staying with us, obviously, once we get them, but...they just left, Jade. This is going to be complicated."

"Oh my god," You say. "I can't...they just left? What's going to happen?"

"I don't know, Jadey." John says, opening his arms for another hug, which you gladly oblige. "I don't know."

* * *

 

There's a knock at the hotel room door. You and Rose just stare at each other, both fully dressed in your own clothes (don't want to be, need to be, presentation, Dave, always presentation), sitting on opposite beds, both made, one untouched last night because why the fuck would you sleep on opposite beds the first night you've spent together since you were babies?

There's another knock at the hotel room door.

"Guys?" You hear, and holy fuck, that's Jade's voice, wow, talk about surreal.

"Yes," Rose says, voice cracking. "Yes."

She gets up, and you follow, both of your hands on the door as you turn the knob and...

John.

Jade.

Strange man in a fedora.

Talk about fucking surreal.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos are great comments are better two tumblr blogs:  
> Main: pennamepersona.tumblr.com  
> Ask: ask-clinic-au.tumblr.com (w/ new formatting and everything! It's great, seriously, come ask the cast stuff!)
> 
> Please, suggest pairings for future chapters! Doesn't matter to me if they're platonic or romantic.


	3. Realizations - Johnkat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The funny thing is, it doesn't really feel any different. It's like you always knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW I completely forgot I was doing this, time for a makeup day! Guess I'm doing two today, that's swell, good job me.

The thing about regulars is that people have mixed emotions regarding them, depending on what the regular's personality is like, how difficult their usual is, and, as it happens, what sort of place you work at.

Apparently, it's not good to be a regular at a clinic.

But how were you supposed to know that?

(Okay, yeah, common sense, you suppose, but you've been told so very many times in your life that you lack even the vaguest shred of common sense)

(Not in those words)

(Those were just the words that Karkat used last time you were here)

(Ha, good 'ol Karkat)

Anyway. Regular at the local clinic equals not a good thing, now you know, the more you know, etc., etc., whatever. You've got a good paying job with benefits (family business everybody) and it's not like you're (usually)  _seriously_ injured, just sort of, you know, stupid about stuff.

Like, you don't know, maybe emotions.

Maybe you're stupid about emotions.

Who can say?

...

Yeah, you're really stupid about emotions. You've been coming here for months and only now are you realizing that you've sort of got butterflies in your stomach for some reason? And it's certainly not because of Kanaya, who yes, is pretty, but is also a lesbian dating one of your best friends, so that's a no.

And today...today Karkat isn't here, which is crazy, because Karkat is  _always_ here. You were beginning to think he slept here or something! 

Apparently not.

(He'd call you a dumbass for thinking that, but then again, he's probably going to call you a dumbass anyway, which probably shouldn't evoke feelings of fondness within you, but whatever.)

And you're really, really disappointed that Karkat isn't here!

Maybe because you're a little bit infatuated with him?

Rose certainly thinks you are, and Dave just gave you this  _look_ when you asked and Jade smacked you and called you an idiot so that all points in the right direction.

So you're turning to go, and then the doors to the clinic open, and who steps in but

"Karkat!" 

And you're grinning and he looks at you and rolls his eyes, but fondly, totally fondly, and...

Wow, you're fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos yes, comments super yes, tumblrs:  
> Main: pennamepersona.tumblr.com  
> Ask: ask-clinic-au.tumblr.com


	4. The Reveal - Rosemary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know that your...girlfriend? is a secretive person. 
> 
> You just never thought it would go this far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do do dooo two in one day, la la la, anyway

You sigh. 

The door has just closed behind you and all you want to do is curl up into a ball.

You've not been in many relationships before, and you didn't think that this one in particular would be so hard, not when it went so well at the beginning. 

And yet, here you are.

Suffering at the hands of Rose Lalonde.

...

How do you put this...how do you explain? Because Karkat will demand that you explain why, after only a handful of dates and one visit to her apartment, you're convinced that this girl must secretly despise you or herself or being a lesbian or  _something_ along those lines, because why else would she be so distant?

You haven't done anything wrong, to your knowledge. You even brought along a brand of tea that she had mentioned was one of her favorites, and she had looked like it pained her.

...

...

...

...

Well. Kanaya Maryam is many things, but a quitter is not one of them. You may be a freak of nature, a blood-sucking hell creature, but you are not a bad girlfriend and will not be portrayed as one! You have no desire to let Rose Lalonde slip through your fingertips, not when you are certain that there is a connection between the two of you that you won't easily find elsewhere.

You turn around and knock on the door, then open it (perhaps you should have waited?).

You see Rose sitting at her table, head in her arms, and...

Is she crying?

"Rose?" You ask, and she startles, visibly.

"Kanaya?" She says, quickly wiping at her tears. Oh goodness, she is crying. What on earth could have happened? Did you cause this? "What...what is it?"

"What's wrong, Rose?" You ask, quietly. "Have I done something?"

"What? No, no. I..." She pauses. "I'm not sure how to explain this."

"Well," You say, taking a seat at the table across from her. "Perhaps you should try."

"I don't have a lot of people that I'm close to," She says. "Only three others, and now you, and it's...it's very difficult. I've been close with Dave since birth and John and Jade since I was ten, and now you need all of this explaining done and I'm so unsure that I'm up to it, and Kanaya, I have depression and it's getting...worse..."

She trails off at the end.

"I have depression." She says. "Oh. I think I was scared to admit that before."

"I know you have depression, Rose." You say. "It's fairly obvious to me, not to make you feel transparent or worse about yourself. I am very familiar with the signs. I congratulate you on admitting it to yourself. That is a significant first step."

"Thank you, Kanaya." She says, quietly. "And, so long as I am admitting things that frighten me, I care about you quite a bit. So much that I'm afraid of it. It keeps me up at night, what if I'm not good at this, what if I chase you away, what if - "

"Rose," You say, standing and moving to her, taking her hands in yours. "We can figure this out together."

"Yes," She says. "I suppose we can."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a bit of an odd fill for a revelation of feelings, but it was what came to me (probably because I just read some angsty klance fics)  
> It's a reveal of how much Rose does care about Kanaya as well as a reveal of her depression. Hope y'all like it.
> 
> Please leave suggestions for future chapters, kudos are great comments are better find me at:
> 
> pennampersona.tumblr.com  
> and  
> ask-clinic-au.tumblr.com  
> which is begging for more asks


	5. First Date - Pale Karkan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a disaster, you think, about ready to pound your head on the table

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blah blah thought I'd take a different spin on this since I'm such a damn hipster about everything

This is a disaster, you think to yourself, about ready to pound your head on the table. 

Kanaya is sitting across from you in a beautifully cut dress, elegant to the supreme despite the fact that she pulled a (technically illegal) 14 hour shift yesterday.

Why she agreed to come with you, you'll never know, probably, because you don't know most things and Kanaya is an enigma except for how she isn't because you have literally known her since birth so this  _really shouldn't be that hard_.

You open your mouth to say something stupid (like how you said "This is nothing like what I used to do with Gamzee" and effectively ended all possible pleasant conversation from the very fucking start, dammit) when Kanaya interrupts with the last thing you thought you'd hear tonight.

"I think we should move in together."

"Fucking  _what_?!" You sputter, perhaps a bit too loudly, considering this place is actually sorta kinda nice.

"I think we, you and I, you being Karkat Vantas and I being Kanaya Maryam - " She starts, and you hold up a hand.

"Heard you the first time, no need to be snarky about it," You say, smiling a bit because  _here's_ Kanaya, and  _here's_ you, much better. "Just. What made you think that?"

"I know it'd save money for the both of us, and honestly Karkat, I enjoy your company more than I enjoy just about anyone else's." She says, blushing a bit. "You soothe me."

"Not a complaint I receive often," You say, and she rolls her eyes.

"Hardly a complaint, especially with how - "

"Hard you've been working lately, I know," You finish for her.

"And we're even finishing each other's sentences, honestly, Karkat, I think we'd make excellent roommates." She says, smiling that soft, happy smile that you love so much. Nearly makes her glow, and jeez, you just love it when she's happy, okay? Kanaya is your best friend, has been for a while now, ever since...well, maybe even before that.

But that hurts too much to think about, and you're here to have a good time, which you suddenly realize you are very much doing.

You're having a good time.

With Kanaya.

"I think you're right," You say, smiling. "Let's do it."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave suggestions for future pairings, kudos good comments great find me @:  
> pennamepersona.tumblr.com  
> and  
> ask-clinic-au.tumblr.com


	6. Reminder - JohnKat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well damn," You say, looking down at your bleeding hand. "That's probably not good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A....reveal????? Perhaps............

"Well damn," You say, looking down at your bleeding hand. "That's probably not good."

"What's probably not good, my brother?" A voice says from the kitchen doorway. You look over and yeah, exactly who you thought it was.

"Just cut myself again, pal!" You say, cheerfully, which Karkat would smack you for. "I probably don't need to go any - oh wow, that's a lot of blood and  _good god is that white **bone**_ okay nevermind I'm going to the hospital I can't feel anything am I going into shock, please help me oh god."

Your companion chuckles a bit and moves to support you. 

"Can't do anything without getting hurt, can you?" He asks, and you laugh, shakily.

"You're one to talk." You say.

"I'm better now, little bro," He says, and you know his gaze is distant, now. You've known this guy for ages, he was a patient when you first started volunteering at the mental institution, and now he come sand helps out as often as he can, says that the place did so much for him he should give back. He's usually the one helping out in the kitchen, not you, because you suck at it, but today you thought you'd try your hand at it.

Ha. Hand.

Which is bleeding.

Anyway.

"I know you are," You say. "And I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," He says, looking down and smiling at you. You grin back. He's so different now, hair pulled back so he can see and others can look into his eyes, smiling in a friendly (not creepy) way, and just. Happier. Healthier. Better.

"Of course!" You chirp. You're outside now, and he's leading you to his car, which you get in very, very carefully. On the way to the hospital, you try not to look at your hand, which is covered in some hastily acquired gauze (there's always a first aid kit near you!) and still bleeding rather profusely.

"Hey, what's that pendant 'round your neck mean?" He asks. "Reminds me of something an old friend's dad used to make."

"Oh!" You startle, not expecting the question. "It's something my boyfriend gave me. Funny, but his dad did actually make it. He's got one too, we wear them to sort of remind us that we've got each other. It's nice." 

"Sounds nice," He says, as he pulls into the hospital parking lot. "Well, we're here, my brother. Want to go to the ER?"

"Nah," You say. "I'll just go to the clinic. Mind coming with?"

"That was the plan," He says easily, walking alongside of you, ready in case you pass out or something.

You know that Karkat is working today, so you're almost looking forward to seeing him, except he's totally going to freak out once he sees your hand. You walk through the doors and yep, there he is, working the front desk.

"Karkat!" You say, and almost don't notice your companion freezing up next to you. Karkat looks up immediately, and you know there's scolding on the tip of his tongue, and then he sees who is with you, and turns pale.

"...Gamzee?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA and y'all thought this was just a bunch of whatever one-shots you could skip over!! Nah. Do not skip this.  
> Anyway.  
> Kudos? sure. Comments? Y E S P L E A SE
> 
> Tumblrs:  
> pennamepersona.tumblr.com  
> ask-clinic-au.tumblr.com


	7. New to the Family - Davejade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Shit," You say. "You guys are kind of terrifying."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA that last chapter was so much fun I'm definitely going to have a follow-up eventually but for now, more writing challenge

"Shit," You say. "You guys are kind of terrifying."

The half of the Strilonde clan (four people can be a clan, right? Mental note to look that up later) continues to stare at you. This is not comforting.

"Whatcha talkin' about, Jadey?" Roxy asks, popping a bubble with her gum. "You know us."

"Not from this perspective," You say, feeling nervous around them for the first time in your life. You've known Rose and Dave since you were ten, and Roxy and Dirk have been in the lives of your cousins for just as long. When they moved to the city, you easily considered them part of the family, just another limb of people to be cared about.

Now, though, you're realizing just how hard they can be.

"How do you mean?" Dirk asks, in a way that suggests a question more than deliberately intones it.

"You'd hurt me if I hurt him." You say, looking mostly at Roxy and Dirk. Rose and Dave have already got their own journals in your head, you know them inside and out, you've seen them at their worst and love them to pieces because of it, not in spite of it, so the wild cards in this situation are certainly not them.

"Would ya?" Roxy asks, shifting slightly from her perched position on a chair. "Would ya hurt Davey?"

You're silent.

"Answer the question, Jade." Dirk says, looking and sounding more menacing than you've ever seen him.

"You two really care about him," You say.

"Don't avoid - "

"I'm not avoiding the question." You say. "I'm saying that if I did hurt him, it isn't just me who has the ability to pick up the pieces. I appreciate what you're doing here, the whole "you hurt my family I hurt you" thing, it's good, coming from Dave's family. But if I did hurt him, which I don't want to do, then you guys would take care of him."

"Course we would," Roxy says, seriously.

"Of course we would." Dirk echoes.

"Good!" You say, brightly. "Now can I stop being judged? I mean, you guys totally know me. I know you've been going through my stuff and all that junk, and if you want to hear me say it, I will. I love Dave a lot."

"Alright," Roxy says. "I'm good if you are, Dirky."

"Don't call me that," Dirk says, which you take as an indication that you may continue to live.

(Awesome.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos yep comments YEP tumblrs:  
> pennamepersona.tumblr.com  
> ask-clinic-au.tumblr.com


End file.
